


In This Together

by AlexVaz01, TwinCarcino



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Drama, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-02
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-01-28 07:03:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12600964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexVaz01/pseuds/AlexVaz01, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwinCarcino/pseuds/TwinCarcino
Summary: A long forgotten line in an old book.An adventure that would push two enemies together.And a quest in search for the last of it’s kind.What could go wrong?





	1. Not a Choice

The lamp’s light flickered against the book in Lapis’s hand, the little symbols making themselves invisible against the brownish page each time the world turned into a black, indistinguishable mass of ink, shadows and darkness. Blue eyes traveled through the long lost pages of the ancient book as the rain fell outside. Excitement ran through her veins, even as her tiredness was making her slip again and again into a state of drowsiness, her head nodding in the air helplessly.

 

Lapis Lazuli was used to the tight corridors and the unstable orange light the oil lamps playing around her, she was also used to falling asleep over heavy books year after year for her studies. The library halls with the towers of books and little spots hidden away from the masses had become a second home for her. Years later, it wasn’t the pursuit of knowledge or a good grade that brought her back to the oldest rooms, to the oldest bookshelves where the pages were usually tarnished by little termite’s holes or grow yellowed and fragile with their age. 

 

No, what brought her back was something else.

 

Nodding helplessly, Lapis kept trying to find another sign between the old books, something that didn’t tell her that the accidental discovery was a lie, a ruse that she was making up to herself. She was still searching for a reason to not make this trip. The tall blue eyed woman was simply curious when she found out the weirdest of wording. It didn’t say destroyed, like all those old and new books, but it said lost. Lost could mean anything, right? So many meanings, and so different from destroyed that it piqued her curiosity immensely. But just an old mention in an old book wasn’t enough to proof what she was thinking was real. 

 

Months of searching had brought her here. December 21th, the longest night of the year, under the copious rain and the cold wind, no one on the streets as Lapis Lazuli kept digging, half asleep, half awake, between the aged pages she could only find in these passages.

 

She knew that she could give up, no one knew about that line and no one knew about what she was looking on those old shelves. If she stopped looking, it wouldn’t have some consequence that could harm her. But, there was something that pushed her over and over back into this addiction. 

 

She begged fate for just one small confirmation, or even a reasonable doubt to keep pursuing this long trip, she just needed that last push to go in this self imposed quest because in the deepest part of her soul, in the back of her head, where true wishes lie, this idea was one of her deepest desires. It was fuel to keep going long night after long night. Ever since she was a child and had a dream where she saw it, she saw this roaming through the sky, ever since she ran in awe as soon as she woke to tell her parents all about it, ever since she was a toddler, she always knew this was what she wanted.

 

The bluenette kept digging her teeth into all the books she could find, as thunder and lightning rolled outside, first slowly and just like another light added by the long windows, then every time more close and close, the sound even more deep as Lapis kept reading word after word, line after line.

 

Suddenly, another flash of light appeared in her back and she, lifting her eyes from the page, could make a figure behind one of the stands. She wasn’t known for being afraid of much, but this figure scared her when she saw it. It was late at night and the library was supposed to be closed; Lapis stood up and slowly crawled to it, she should be alone right now, no? It was dark and people rounding around the library at this time were only students trying to pass their exams, no one came to this section at this time, so late into the night, so what was that. She walked carefully and slowly, leaving the open books behind, to the figure that she just believed she saw.

 

Nothing was there when she arrived.

 

A scream was shot out of her mouth when she turned, almost smashing her shoulder into a thick skull.

 

A small girl, with a huge know it all grin plastered on her lips and a small lamp on one hand, an old book in the other, closed around one of her fingers, leaving a page open for god knows why.

 

Lapis could have focus on that, but she couldn’t while she was under those eyes.

 

The smile grew larger as the blue eyed girl recovered from her surprise.

 

Lightning shocked outside and she was able to see the features she knew were there; The blonde short hair that flew all over the place, green huge cocky eyes looking up at them, but clearly swallowing everything, her presence was unmatched; Even when the pale skin and low statute seemingly showed another thing, Lapis Lazuli felt small under the gaze of Peridot Jackson.

 

She hated the other girl, her obnoxious attitude and her prideful speech, the way she tried to outshine everyone else by licking the teachers shoes, the way the blonde tend to not care about anyone else, leaving usually them hanging to dry, without giving them help when they asked or anything, the way she seemingly targeted her, seeing her as a rival because they both had good grades, being able to hear her mutter under her breath when her score was higher than the blonde and almost pushing the paper to her face when the green eyed girl “won”. Worst part of everything is that they both ended up taking the same path, straight into investigation and teaching in the place where both studied, so she couldn’t help but cross her and her angry frown once in every few days.

 

Even with all that, Lapis couldn’t know what Peridot was doing there.

 

In all her cockiness, she wasn’t going to leave her waiting.

 

“I know you are looking for something…” She started filling her chest with pride, “I’ve followed you for a few months… and I know what you are searching.”

 

Lapis’s mouth was hanging open. Peridot was stalking her? Why? What motive did the blonde have for it? Was it revenge or another duel with her “Rival”? What did the obnoxious little girl want with her?

 

“I have here what you want.” Peridot handed her the book, with a finger still inside and the rest clawing around the covers, like a protective bird around a secret, “If this is what you want… I only want one thing and I want you to promise me you’ll give it to me.”

 

Lapis looked at her with question in her eyes as her fingers wrapped themselves around the tome, she tried pulling lightly but with one hand the blonde had it tightly in her grasp, she whispered under her breath the words that may become her undoing, “Okay okay. I promise, What do you want?”

 

Peridot smiled and she opened the book with one flick of her wrist, “I want you to check that this is it first, Lazuli, and then I’ll ask.”

 

Lapis read over the line that the smaller girl was pointing.

 

Then she read it again.

 

And she did it once again.

 

She lifted her eyes slowly.

 

“I want in.”

 

Lapis watched her with surprise.

 

The blonde still had this know it all smirk in her lips, her chest full of air as she felt pleased about herself.

 

Peridot wanted to hunt the last dragon’s egg with her.

 

And Lapis had promised she would do the one thing her rival asked of her. 


	2. The Rival

Lapis had been acting weird.

Usually Peridot tried not to pay her any mind, but there was something she’d been doing that had caught her attention. She saw Lapis constantly sneaking off to the library and it was starting to irritate Peridot. Irritate her because she didn’t have any idea what it was that Lapis was up to.

She felt like she needed to know what Lapis was sneaking about for. It had to be  _ something.  _ And, if it was something, then maybe then she could find some way to one-up her longtime “rival”, well, maybe rival wasn’t the exact word… That would mean that Lapis could beat her in something.

Now, Peridot wouldn’t call it stalking, not exactly. Just, well, observing from a distance. A good and safe distance without Lapis knowing.

She had a notebook that was full of notes that she had begun taking over the few months that she had been watching Lapis. Taking note of the books she’d started reading in the same section of library and try to find some kind of correlation or connection between what she was doing. Some kind of research, of course. What else would it be? But what kind of research was Lapis doing that had her seemingly obsessed with it?

Peridot had spent who knew how many nights wide awake going over her notes and observations. She’d go to her trusty tape recorder, leaving messages to herself on what she’d noted about Lapis and listening to her older observations.

It wasn’t easy, by no means was it easy. Peridot had her own work to focus on, and she had to make sure no one noticed her following Lapis. It would all be over if people noticed, especially if Lapis noticed that Peridot would follow her. It’d make things so much more difficult.

Wanting to take the initiative, try and find out what Lapis was up to with her own hands rather than just from watching her, Peridot had wandered into the library. Almost immediately she was assaulted by the smell of new and old books, the wooden furniture and the smell of the lamps that filled the room. There was the sound of the gentle creaking of the floors as people walked, of chairs dragging along the floors and of books being moved about.

It brought back memories of the days she’d lock herself away to study. Absolutely determined to get a good grade—not just a  _ good  _ grade, but to get the  _ best  _ grade. Of all the nights she’d almost falling asleep at the tables and in the chairs after her body decided against her will that it needed sleep, and of all the stressful pre-test study sessions.

She made her way through the tight corridor, watching her shadow flicker on the cold walls as the lamplight wavered. Her steps were quick and purposeful. She knew Lapis’ schedule well enough to know that she wouldn’t be in the library, not right now, not for another few hours at the very least.

It was December 21’st, one of the, if not  _ the  _ longest night of the year and the weather was as dour as one might expect. Rain pattered outside, coming down in buckets and drenching any poor, unlucky soul who might dare step out. Occasionally there would be a loud clap of thunder that would force her to give a startled jump and bite back a curse.

She only had a few hours until Lapis would arrive and so, as she arrived at the Lazuli Section, dubbed as such for being the part of the library that Lapis was always at, Peridot Jackson got to work.

Situating herself on a chair, she began to take books and flip through the pagers at an alarming speed. Not reading, but just skimming through the pages for something that might give a hint to whatever in the stars it was that Lapis was after. She’d shove the book back onto the shelf after each one and then tear through the next.

It was a set pattern, there was almost a rhythm to it. Flip through a book, skim through the pages, put it back and then go to the next. It made time go by fast, the ever ticking of the clock the only sign to Peridot that time was going by at all.

She was almost starting to panic, though Peridot wouldn’t admit it. She was running out of time and Lapis would be here soon to start going through the books

Glancing at the clock, Peridot figured it was time to call it a night today and so, taking one last book with her, made a hasty escape from the secluded area of the library before Lapis arrived. She’d continue her work with this book and then go back to observing Lapis.

What she hadn’t taken in account was the book she’d left with was the book that would make everything she’d recorded and observed these past few months make sense.

The storm seemed to grow as she made her way back to where Lapis would be situated, going over books looking for the very same book that Peridot had left with, unaware that it was the book Lapis had wanted.

Lightning flashed in the sky outside as Peridot came to stand before Lapis, briefly filling the area with light. Though Peridot was smaller than Lapis, she stood straight and kept her head high to show that she was not also  _ lower  _ than Lapis.

She knew that Lapis hated her, it was clear on her face as Peridot let her smugness, her pride show. The short blonde couldn’t help but puff out her chest in pride, “I know you’re looking for something. I’ve followed you for a few months… and I know what you’re searching.”

She’d given the book to Lapis, made her promise one thing to her, that she’d let Peridot in on this whole ordeal.

And that was that. Lapis had begrudgingly allowed Peridot to join her in finding what could very well be the last dragon egg in the world. It was clear that Lapis hadn’t wanted to, that going on any sort of journey with Peridot was the last thing she wanted, and the sentiment was shared—Peridot would have preferred to travel with anyone else. But at the moment Lapis knew more than Peridot did, so she had to accept that and swallow her pride for that.

She had her bags packed, books and journals packed along with her clothes and a few essentials. She’d meet up with Lapis and they would start their journey to find the egg.

Just think of all the scientific discoveries that would come with that. The fame and fortune that would follow her for finding such a prize. Peridot could already see all the interviews and prizes she’d get. The respect, the whole world would know her name.

So what if she had to work with her rival to achieve such an aspiration. She could handle Lapis Lazuli no problem.

That egg would be hers.

And hers alone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter despite the wait. As always, please leave us a comment and let us know what you think!


	3. Platform

Cold winter air passed through her hands, the dark cold train station without a soul around her, Lapis let the air go out slowly through her mouth, becoming visible as a little halo in the front of her face; The blue haired teacher hid her face between her legs, in a corner of the platform, deep in thought as she noticed she was an hour early, before her train, before their trip, before Peridot and before anything that would happen after that.

 

Mist all around her as the blurry memories of last night flooded into her, like juxtaposed pieces of a puzzle, tiredness making it not fit all of those together, just pieces and parts that didn’t have a logical connection between them, Peridot’s dismissive words, the blonde’s plan, taking a train in the early morning and beginning the trip as soon as possible, without mentioning it to anyone; Lapis could see between the fog an excited smile in those white teeth and could feel the rage burn inside. How she wanted to erase it from there, because this was HER discovery, her idea, The blonde didn’t have any bearings on it, in fact the reason, the only reason, her rival was able to find this was the smaller girl seemingly stalking her for months unend.

 

But she had already accepted, in that confused mindstate where you are too tired to say no and you aren’t giving a single fuck about it, to go on this adventure with Peridot, to be trapped in this together, with the girl that rivalized her during countless years, with the girl that betrayed her trust, taking credit about some of her work the times they were forced to work together, with the girl that used to start lies behind her back if she could believe the rumor mill, with the girl that tried for the same position she was in just to spite her and with the girl that actually stalked her for months.

 

There’re were things she could never forget that Peridot has done, they had a past together, they had made each other life hell through weeks, Lapis couldn’t say she wasn’t guilty, a part in her heart harbored a black dark resentment for the little blonde, she had also let the rumor mill run through her, spreading some fine words about her relationship with her mother, she had also jumped into disagreeing with the idea of Peridot being a teacher in the same faculty and place as she was, and she was very petty with it, avoiding her like the plague and acting very dismissive for her, she could admit as much, but it was actually her rival’s fault, she always got into Lapis’s spaces, she always chased her, Peridot didn’t knew how to leave her alone and that burned a pitch black hole in her heart, filled with hatred and rage.

 

And now, what she always wanted, her dream and what she always chased for, the last dragon egg, had stopped being something she could do on her own, just because of a desperate promise, just because she wasn’t strong enough, she couldn’t look hard enough. She was now stuck with Peridot in this hunt.

 

And she already hated every second of it.

 

So she let her legs dangle out of the platform, playing with the cold air and waiting, falling into a soft trance, like a light sleep as she waited time to pass, it was her fault being so early here, but she was already finding the words to turn everything into the blonde’s face.

 

The same girl that made her jump of surprise at a hand placed over her shoulder, Peridot in all her glory, smirk in her thin lips and glasses over her eyes.

 

“What?” She could swear the smile grew up 10 times just as she opened her mouth, “You weren’t ready for this?”.

 

Lapis eyed her up and down, yellow hair neat and tidy going to the back of her neck, a long leather jacket covering her small frame and a medium backpack in her back, her pale skin fading and mixing with the mist that surrounded them, much more lightly than before. Anger boiled inside of her as she stood, taking a little pouch from her belt and pushing it into her chest, making her stumble a few steps back.

 

“That’s half of the money I have.” She said, a sharp edge in her voice.

 

The blonde didn’t answered, she just opened it and counted the few coins she was given, she didn’t said a word as the sound of metal over rails came closer, black iron stopping in front of her, the blue haired profesor jumping inside, leaving her all alone in the platform.

 

Peridot took a little quill of her pocket, red, scorched on the edges and with a pint of blood in the middle of it.

 

“Log Date, 24 5 3, Today I start this trip… Today I start getting answers of everything you need...”

 

Skillful fingers tucked the little bird feather in her pocket as she jumped into the train, looking to one side and the other, and finding the well known blue tint somewhere far away, head pressed against a window.

 

The blonde walked towards her forceful companion at sat at her side, she had already her eyes closed, almost drifting into sleep as Peridot let the bag fall from her shoulders and clash into the ground, being trapped between her legs and calming her breaths, she took one look at the girl of her side, one that had antagonized her for years, one that had being so mean and angry and never took a step into understand her, Peridot watched over Lapis as she fell asleep and settled in one thing on her mind.

 

I don’t like you, you don’t like me, but we need to do this together. You know a lot more than I do but I know how to fill the gaps you need. You are just a tool and I’ll get my answers… I’ll get this egg, MY egg.

 

Peridot closed her eyes and drifted to sleep pretty quickly, after all, they had to waste a few hours inside the train.

 

And neither of them wanted to spend it talking with each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Alex: I hope you all like this story and can follow it, I can't promise you regular updates, but I can say that they will have both of our hearts in it.
> 
> Also, Smug Peridot is fun to write haha.


End file.
